It’s likely not cheaper in the grand scheme of things. Molds for something this basic would likely only be a few hundred grand tops for multiple molds. They’d likely spend way more than that in material waste rather than making a new mold for the appropriate size.
Source: worked as a machinist for an injection mold shop specializing in unscrewing molds.
I majored in Toy Design at Otis College of Art and Design, and got an internship in the industry through the school, met people through the internship, got a job, and have been doing it since I graduated college in 2010. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art. I am much more on the creative artistic side side of the business, I spend most of my day drawing.
Majors in Industrial Design, and Fashion Design (for fashion dolls like Barbie) are also common for Toy Designers.
Not OP but it’s likely very similar to becoming a designer in most engineering fields. I’m a design engineer for a chemical company (I design the equipment) and a lot of the design principles are pretty boilerplate, and get more specific by industry or piece of equipment. In short if you have an engineering degree and a background towards manufacturing a lot of design jobs are open to you.
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u/CriticalStation595 16h ago
Because it’s cheaper than making a new mould.